10 of the Best iPhone Photographers [by Photo Style and Genre]
The iPhone has revolutionised the ability to shoot, edit and share
your photographs on one device. For many photographers, both amateur and
professional, this integrated process has given them the freedom to
experiment both within and across photographic styles.
To show you what’s possible with the iPhone, we’ve put together a
showcase of talented photographers who use the iPhone as part of their
photographic process. The photographers are from all corners of the
world and span different styles including: landscape, portraiture (self
and street), nature and wildlife, architecture, travel, street
photography (colour and black and white), conceptual and documentary.
Four of the photographers shown below (Robert-Paul Jansen, AikBeng
Chia, Oliver Lang and Benedicte Guillon) are featured in our new iPhone Photography eBook.
If you are interested in understanding not on the shooting and editing
techniques, but also the motivation behind using an iPhone for
photography – then the book is for you.
Portraiture – Jim Darling
Since picking up his very first camera over 25 years ago, Jim Darling
has been drawn to the faces and stories of people he meets. According
to Darling, “using just the iPhone and any number of great photography
apps, the stranger/street portrait enters a whole new level. I love the
spontaneity and the quick relationship that exists between me and the
subject.”
Bill
Bryan and Ola
Teri
More of Jim Darling’s work can be found on his website.
Landscape – Robert-Paul Jansen
Robert-Paul Jansen is a Dutch photographer who uses an iPhone to take
magical landscape photographs in the countryside around his home in the
small village of Gemonde. Jansen started shooting on his iPhone because
of convenience “the camera I always have in my pocket has shown me more
small miracles, more tiny details, than I ever thought possible.”
There where fairies live
Swamped
No need to look further for love
You can find more of Jansen’s photography on his website.
Benedicte Guillon is masterful in her use of natural light to paint
unique scenes, whether travelling the world or at home in Paris.
According to Guillon, she uses an iPhone as part of her photographic
process when travelling because it “allows me to feel my very first
impressions when I arrive in a new place. The fact that it is the most
compact camera I have makes me feel more comfortable shooting with it
during the first days. I’m able to start exploring the area in a way
that helps me to learn about people and the way they live.”
Eyep, Istanbul
Kadikoy, Istanbul
Essaouira Station, Morocco
More of Benedicte Guillon’s work can be found on her website.
Nature and Wildlife – Kaisa and Stanley Breeden
Kaisa and Stanley Breeden, based in tropical far-north Queensland,
Australia, are usually known for their incredibly detailed focus
stacking photography, as seen in their books Wildflower Country and Rainforest Country.
They have recently branched out into iPhoneography, inspired by the
way the device and its many photography apps encourage people to look
differently at the world around them.
Carpet Python
Gristle Fern
Docuna Rubropicta
More of Stanley and Kaisa Breeden’s work can be found on their website.
Conceptual – Richard ‘Koci’ Hernandez
Richard “Koci” Hernandez is a national Emmy® award-winning video and
multimedia producer who worked as a photographer at the San Jose Mercury
News for 15 years. In 2007 after taking his first mobile photograph, he
was hooked on the medium’s potential and immediacy, “not only is it the
camera in my hand, but it’s the printing press in my pocket and more
importantly, with the rise of social networks like Instagram, it’s
become my satellite dish in order to instantly transmit, globally. I can
share my vision at the touch of a button and receive instant feedback”.
We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us. Winston Churchill
Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see. Martin Luther King Jr.
Depth must be hidden. Where? On the surface. Hugo von Hofmannsthal
More of Koci’s photography is available on his Flickr.
Colour Street Photography – Oliver Lang
Oliver Lang is a Sydney based street photographer. He shoots with a
mobile phone for the convenience and connectivity. He is also
interested in participatory photography and the innovations that the
connected culture of mobile photography is driving.
Hiding from the light, Market St, Sydney
Floating, Park Street, Sydney
Newtown, Sydney
You can find more of Oliver Lang’s work on his website.
Black and white street photography – Greg Schmigel
Greg Schmigel is not an iPhoneographer, rather a street photographer
who happens to use an iPhone as his main camera of choice. Schmigel is
inspired by a variety of photographers, both old and new, including:
Garry Winogrand, Vivian Maier, Jules Aarons, Tim Cadman and many more.
Schmigel was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1969, but has spent
the majority of his life in and around the Washington, DC, Metropolitan
area.
The Conversation
Pale Beauty
The Old Rabbi and his Keeper
You can find more of Greg Schmigel’s photography on his website.
Self-Portraiture – Klaudia Cechini
Klaudia Cechini is a Polish photographer who uses her iPhone for
self-portraiture. Her images are often self-reflective; a visual
expression of a personal emotion or feeling. Cechini notes that “It is
about catching every day moments which fail to be expressed adequately
by words”.
Untitled
Untitled
Untitled
More of Klaudia Cechini’s self-portraits can be found on her Flickr.
AikBeng Chia – Documentary
AikBeng Chia wanders the Singapore back streets at all hours of the
day and night looking for interesting people, traditions, and stories.
According to Chia, he uses his iPhone as part of his documentary
photography because “it phone helps your subject to be at ease with you.
Most of the people I meet are amazed and curious that I use such a
small device to capture photos instead of a DSLR or a rangefinder”.
Here are three images from AikBeng Chia’s “Will you still love me
tomorrow” series about the dying art of Chinese Street Opera in
Singapore.
You can find more information on this series in this blog post. For more of AikBeng Chia’s photographs, visit his website.
Architecture – Dan Cole
Dan Cole is a Seattle-area photographer who is using his iPhone to
take architectural photographs, which he shares on Instagram to his over
100,000 followers.
Dan was educated at the Art Institute of Seattle and University of
Washington, and has worked as an artist in the game industry for over 14
years. He has been pursuing photography since 2005, and has been an
engaged member of the Instagram community since October of 2010.
Untitled
Untitled
H
You can find more of Dan Cole’s images on his website.
Are you taking photos with your iPhone as part of your photographic
journey? We’d love you to share your photos in the comments below.
Inspired to learn how to use your iPhone to create beautiful images?
(Pssst...as good a deal as this is at only $7.99, how would you like to
have access to the Smartphone Filmmaking Handbook absolutely FREE? Just
scroll down to the bottom of this page and click on the Amazon Kindle
Unlimited Access offer)
Engagement highlight reel!
Viral video - Cell phone video, Inspiration for you videographers considering a topic for your next project.1,000
views on Facebook. Your video may receive more.
(Pssst...as good a deal as this is at only $7.99, how would you like to
have access to the Smartphone Filmmaking Handbook absolutely FREE? Just
scroll down to the bottom of this page and click on the Amazon Kindle
Unlimited Access offer)
Documentary style photography has long been of great fascination to
me. The sheer act of photographing people and places to document
spontaneous moments and the imperfections associated with it gives such
photography, and the photographer, a sense of being authentic, real, and
free to exercise his/her creative freedom.
Officially, documentary style photography has many technical
definitions. As per Wikipedia, documentary style of photography is used
to chronicle events and environments in a naturally occurring state very
much like photojournalism. I like to think of a documentary style of
photography as the letting go of my inhibitions and preconceived notions
of perfection. That I’m documenting people and places in their natural
environment – being or doing what they do on any given day.
This scene literally happened right in front of me in Jaipur, India – the classic story of the billy goats!
I find that by approaching travel photography in a documentary
fashion, I am able to have a richer travel experience. Because I can
relieve my mind of the pressures of photographing just like everyone
else and also walk away with some unique frames that speak to my own
experiences.
To that end, here are a few tips to keep in mind for a documentary style approach towards your travel photography.
#1 – Be present in the moment
Being present in every moment of every day is a life lesson we all
can benefit from. It doesn’t just apply to travel photography. Great
moments happen every day around us that are worth documenting not just
for our clients but also for ourselves so that we can live a richer,
fuller life.
People
watching is a great exercise in training your eye to really catch that
which is unusual and unique to a place – these boys in the market in
Jaipur were observing me just as much as I was observing them!
By training your mind to really live life in the moment and not worry
about all the other distractions will also help you really “see” what
is around you. More often than not, you likely travel with a very tight
agenda and timeline. No sooner than you get to your destination, you are
already mentally prepared to move on to the next stop. Instead, try and
plan a single excursion for a day and really focus on learning and
experiencing that place or activity before moving on.
#2 – Be observant of your surroundings
Life is happening all around you all the time. People interacting
with each other, people interacting with nature, nature putting on a
grand show during sunrise, sunset, or even during a thunderstorm. But
don’t wait for some preconceived notion of the perfect moment to take
your camera out and take a photo.
At the same time, don’t see the world simply through your viewfinder.
Observe the scene, anticipate the shot that you really want to get and
be ready to take the shot. Don’t just fire away at every situation only
to get home to realize that you completed missed the moment and hence
missed the shot as well.
I
once found myself in the middle of a village festival/ritual when I was
traveling in India. I had no
idea what was going on but knew I had to
document this. Luckily a female photographer was
somewhat of a rarity in
this village and I was given a special seat in the middle of all the
action
(without a word spoken amongst me and these women)! It was
fascinating to see and experience.
I
later found out that these women were taking one of the female members
of their family to each
house to get blessings as she was supposed to be
possessed by a female deity and have god-like
powers…certainly an
experience I will never forget!
#3 – Be real about your travel photography goals
A very famous travel quote says, “We travel not to escape life, but
so that life does not escape us” really hits the nail on the head for
me. Be real about why you travel and what you want to gain out of each
travel experience. If you are traveling to a marketplace and want to get
a true sense of local lifestyles and customs, then look for naturally
occurring scenes. Don’t look for people that you can pose or stage to
get your shot.
This
is by no means a perfect shot but I love the fact that this angle shows
just how crazy transportation choices can be in smaller villages and
towns in some countries!
#4 – Be aware of your gear choices
Packing for any sort of travel is an art in itself, especially if you are going away for an extended period of time.
Documentary style travel photography requires a slightly different
mindset in terms of gear than say perhaps wildlife or portrait
photography.
I find that for documentary style travel photography a zoom lens like the ultra-wide angle focal length like the Canon 16-35mm f/4 or one like the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8
works well for me. While a fast lens is ideal, I don’t usually find
myself photographing at an aperture lower than f/4 or f/5.6. More often
than not, I have more than one subject in the scene and also want to
capture some of the background in order to provide content to the shot.
I
was in Rome for three days this past summer but couldn’t get the famous
Spanish Steps without
people no matter what time of the day I tried. So
instead, I chose to embrace the crowds and
showcase this famous
monument as the tourist attraction it really is!
#5 – Be confident in your skills
Documentary style photography is generally quite fast paced. You are
trying to capture a scene as it is playing out in front of you. You
don’t really have the time or the opportunity to re-compose the shot and
then click the shutter. However, this does not mean
However, this does not mean that you have to just fire away at the
maximum fps (frames per second) that your camera can handle, then pick
the best of the lot in post-processing. Instead, use your technical as
well as artistic skills to read the scene, analyze the light, assess the
right camera settings, imagine the outcome, anticipate the shot and
then take the picture. Oh, by the way, bear in mind that you will not
likely get a redo.
I
had almost no time to really plan this shot out…I knew I wanted to try
and get all three of the
famous peaks of the Pacific Northwest in one
frame while at about 35,000 feet in the air.
I hope these tips convey my love for documentary style photography
and do not scare you away from it. This style of photography has its own
charm. Even though it may appear to be highly unplanned and random, it
is also a good mix of carefully anticipated planning and authenticity.
Give it a try the next time you travel and let me know how it goes. Share this article.
6 Tips for How to be a Culturally Sensitive Travel Photographer
There is a little wanderlust in all of us. Everyone, at some point in
their lives, wants to travel the world and experience all its beauty
for themselves. Travel opens the mind to many different possibilities,
and makes us more tolerant and conscious as humans. What might be
simple, normal, and mundane to some, might be unique, challenging and
exciting to another. In the words of Gustave Flaubert, “Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny space you occupy in the world.”
On
a particular assignment in Chennai, India last year, the whole
community came out to see what
I was doing and soon I found 20+ willing
subjects to photograph!
As photographers, travel and photography are very much intwined.
Photography is a way to capture and communicate the sense of place and
people. Our images help immortalize our experiences in travel. This is
particularly important when we travel to places outside of our cultural
comfort zones. Every moment and every experience is new, and the need to
document and preserve them sometimes takes over simple basic common
sense. I admit that there have been times when all I’ve done is
experienced a place or an event through the back of my viewfinder. My
camera has been strapped to my person like my life depended on it, and I
have always come back feeling less than happy. The fact that I missed
all the little nuances outside the line of vision of my viewfinder,
weighs quite heavily on my mind.
Even beyond the obvious need to really experience a place, is the
question on when is it okay to take photos of people and places,
especially when traveling to other countries? Many times there are major
cultural, social and economic differences between the photographer and
the subject being photographed. Perhaps the best way to answer that
question is that responsible photography is very much like responsible
travel. Armed with a thorough knowledge of the place, an interest in
cultural enrichment, an open mind, a pleasant attitude, some common
sense and a smile, photography abroad—just like travel itself—can be a
very fulfilling experience.
Here are some basic guidelines on how to be a culturally sensitive photographer when traveling
1) Knowledge is key
Invest time before traveling to research the customs, and photography
norms of the place you will visit. Customs vary not only by country,
but by region and religion as well. Understand and appreciate the
diverse cultural context, and be respectful of these differences. A
little research prior to your journey, goes a long way in avoiding
disappointment and despair when you find out that certain photography
restrictions exist in the places where you are traveling.
I
stumbled upon a religious ceremony on a recent trip and soon found
myself to be the official
photographer of the ceremony – the cultural
enrichment was unlike anything found in any guidebook!
2) Be personable and communicate your needs
Self confidence, an open attitude, and a genuine smile, are important
wherever you travel. People will generally respond to you with the same
attitude that you show them. Be open and honest about your need to
photograph something or someone, and more often than not, people will
respond positively to you. I have found that most people love to have
their picture taken. If you are uncomfortable or nervous about something
or someone, it’s best to just leave the camera in your bag.
I let my camera do the talking and was rewarded with one of the most genuine portraits I have ever taken.
I
was grabbing a quick meal before going to the airport in Jaipur, India
and this lady was very curious about me and my gear. I promised her a
photograph in exchange for a smile and I absolutely adore this image!
3) Get permission
Almost everyone around the world knows what a camera is, and what it
can do. Even if you don’t know the language, simple hand gestures and
pointing to the camera, can take you far in terms of communicating what
is it that you are seeking.
Not understanding the language should never be an excuse to
photograph an unwilling person. As a photographer, the responsibility of
asking for permission before you click the shutter rests solely on you.
If you have time, learn some simple phrases, related to photography, in
the language of the country in which you are traveling. This will not
only allow you to communicate more directly with your subject,
explaining why you want to take a photograph, it shows your interest in
learning at least some of the local language.
Sometimes
use your camera as an ice-breaker. Take a picture and show people the
photos you’ve taken of them, and you will find that photography
instantly becomes more fun and less intimidating. More than anything,
respect the fact that “No” really does mean NO. Yes, I understand that
there is another school of thought of whether asking for permission will
ruin the composition of an image. And while a lot of photographers will
argue one way or the other, I am of the opinion that if you are taking a
picture of a person, you should make every effort to ask permission –
either before or after.
I
made the mistake of not asking this lady before photographing her and
as she walked by me, she yelled at me for being rude and taking her
picture – lesson learnt!
4) Travel without taking pictures
Take the time to really travel without obsessing over capturing every
minute of every day with your camera. Spend time exploring
your surroundings, and your body and mind will thank you for it. Even if
you are on assignment, build in some down time to your schedule. Not
only does it help you relax, but also recharges those creative juices so
you are more productive when you do get back to work!
5) Know your gear
This one is one of the basics of photography, no matter what your
genre. You should know the workings of your camera inside and out. When
you are traveling and have strangers pose for you, that is not the time
to start trying out different settings and fidgeting with your gear.
People begin to loose patience and often get leery of you and your
abilities. They are more likely to simply walk away, rather than waste
their time with a stranger who does not know how to operate his/her
camera.
These
men were intently discussing the price of wholesale fruits and
vegetables at the Chennai
Flower market and I had exactly two seconds to
take this image – this image is literally SOOC
(Straight out of the
camera).
6) To pay or not to pay
Perhaps, one of the most controversial situations while traveling
abroad, is the question of giving money to people you photograph. There
is always that one uneducated, desperate tourist who gives money to get
what they think is an award-winning prized photograph, and soon it
becomes a lucrative business in the local community. This can get quite
uncomfortable and unsafe for other photographers traveling through the
same places.
I
prefer engaging people openly, and sharing my story and my need for a
picture. I find that in most cases people are more than happy to share
their story, and to be heard. I too, walk away more culturally and
emotionally enriched with the experience. However, if someone expects
money for a photograph, then the decision becomes less of whether to pay
and more of whether to take the photo. That is a judgement call that
each of us needs to make on a case-by-case basis, while being mindful of
the example we are setting for future travellers and photographers.
I remember one instance last year when I was traveling in India with
my kids. We were visiting a temple in Southern India, and for some
reason a lot of teenagers starting taking pictures of my five year old
son. They would come and ask me if they could take a selfie with my son.
Initially it seemed innocent enough, and my son posed with them. Soon
it was getting to the point of being creepy, and I had to refuse. As a
parent, I was extremely uncomfortable with having strangers take
pictures of my kids. This experience taught me a very valuable lesson –
value and respect people’s personal space and personal preferences.
What are your thoughts on this topic? Do you ask for permission
before taking photographs of strangers when you travel? Or do you just
take the picture and move on? What other things to you take into
consideration to be a culturally sensitive travel photographer?
For the longest time, one of my dreams has been to live away from
home and travel with my family for an extended period of time. I used to
dream about all the places I could travel to, and how much fun I would
have living a nomadic life. Of course, then I would wake up, and the
realities of my responsibilities would take over.
A couple of years ago after a major life setback with the loss of my
mom to cancer, I decided that my life was too short not to make my
dreams come true.
That year, after several months of discussion and planning, my
husband and I decided that our little family would spend our summer in
India – traveling
and visiting family. Somewhere along the way a trip to Ladakh, London,
Zurich, and Rome got added to the roster. Pretty soon I was in charge of
planning and packing for a life on the road for two and a half months.
We’d be living out of just four suitcases – one for each one of us. As a
photographer, I knew that somewhere in those suitcases I had to pack my
camera equipment along with my essentials.
Since that year, my family made a conscious decision to take time
away from everything over the summer and spend at least 3-4 weeks
traveling. Last year we spent two weeks in Utah, and back-country camped
for a week in the wilderness of Denver. As the official photographer
(both for personal reasons as well as professional ones), I have had to
nail down the task of packing my gear and traveling as light as possible
to make the most of the trip.
Here are a few things that helped me make the most of my time away
from home. It is very likely that I have missed some key photographic
opportunities, but overall I am pleased with my gear setup, the
opportunities that my family has experienced, and the images that I have
created. As a bonus, all the camera equipment I take along make it back
without any significant mishaps along the way. If traveling has taught
me anything, it is that not every moment needs to documenting and not
every piece of gear needs to be used at the same time!
1. Gear choices
Let’s face the reality of life as a photographer – we all love and
want all the gear that we think we need wherever we go. As I pack, I
realize that as a photographer I always have so many things I want to
take. However, often the need for gear is quickly overruled by the need
for practical things like clothes, shoes, and books.
After a few days on the road, showers are not an overrated thing, they
become necessary! I narrow down my list based on where my travels are
taking me and what gear I could realistically carry and transport safely
without any damage.
A small travel tripod – this is my latest addition and it fits in my carry-on bag
A remote trigger
7-8 camera CF cards ranging from 8GB to 32GB
One compact 2TB External Hard drives (backup photo storage)
Two generic lens and camera cleaner kits
All of these things comfortably fit into my REI brand hiking
backpack. I use this bag for everything and store my gear in individual
soft-cover bags inside the pack. This is what I have done since day one
and something that has worked well for me.
As
a mom of young kids, my backpack not only carries my gear but also
snacks, extra t-shirts, books, color pencils and at a minimum, 5
matchbox cars of many colors. Just as the camera is my toy, my kids have
their own toys that have to make it on every trip.
My
most recent trip to Portugal had very limited gear because we were
traveling light. So I had to
get creative with my 24-70mm lens around
town as I was enamored with all the beautiful tiles all
over Lisbon!
The one thing I always wish I’d taken with me is a rain cover for the
camera itself. My backpack has a rain cover, which I use when caught in
a sudden downpour, but without a separate rain cover over my camera, I
am not able to use it in the rain – which can be disappointing. Somehow,
I always forget to buy one before my trips.
2. Organize and plan your trip
For me, being prepared and organized includes having a rough idea of
where I am going and the kind of environment I am going to expose myself
and my gear to. Before I leave for a trip, I jot down all the serial
numbers, make and brand for my camera equipment, and store them in a
document on my cloud-based Dropbox account. This gets updated and
checked multiple times in the year as I sell and buy new gear. Just add
this as one of your to-dos before you depart on your trip. All my external hard drives are stored off-site at a friend’s place as well as the remainder of my gear.
Now, obviously, this is a friend I trust. But another option would be
to lock it in an off-site storage facility. As part of your research,
another good thing to keep in your back pocket is the name, address, and
contact information of authorized service dealers for your gear in the
country you are visiting. Sometimes things go wrong no matter how
prepared you are. Having information about services centers and
authorized dealers for your gear is a time saver – especially when you
are traveling in areas where internet connections are not very reliable.
During my travels, my gear choices depend on the activities planned
and the kind of travel we are going to do. When traveling with my family
in Rome and Zurich, we traveled everywhere either on foot or used
public transportation. So I just carried my camera body and the 24-70mm
lens among other daily necessities in my backpack. The rest of my camera
equipment was either packed away in the hotel room safe or locked away
in my suitcase.
When we hiked and camped in the Himalayas, my camera, along with both
my lenses, were always on my person. The tripod was handed off to the
porters that were carrying our camping gear. For my camping trips, I
just carried all my CF cards and ditched the charger and external hard
drive at the house where we were staying because it was highly unlikely
I’d find a charging port on the journey.
Sometimes, if I ask nicely, my husband will carry my gear bag but only because it is not too feminine!! Also, it doesn’t scream camera bag.
This
is my camera bag, day pack, and hiking bag. It can hold a lot of stuff
and has back support
which is really important. Plus it is not
too”girly” in case I need some help carrying it!
When we travel on a road trip, my camera and 24-70mm lens sit up
front with me and store the rest of the gear in the car trunk. When I
fly, I carry all my gear in my backpack – I am too paranoid about
checking in any gear.
My next purchase for a long haul trip is going to be a Pelican case,
so I don’t have to carry anything on my person. As I age, I find that I
cannot carry heavy bags as easily.
All these choices are possible because of the research I do ahead of time.
Additionally, a good mindset to have when you travel to far-off exotic locations is one of acceptance of physical and mental limitations of both your and your camera gear.
I experienced some altitude sickness when I traveled to Leh and
Ladakh as we were traveling on roads at almost 17,000 feet above sea
level. I also found my gear did not function as efficiently at that
altitude. My batteries did not last as long, and the camera also did not
shoot as fast. The first few times it happened I freaked out. However,
then I just accepted it as something beyond my control and gave myself
some extra time to be patient when getting the shot that I wanted.
3. Know your gear
This one is too basic to include here, but it is amazing how many of
us don’t follow this simple tip. We are so enamored with the latest and
greatest gear available, but yet don’t quite know how to use the stuff that we do own.
The best way to get over this is to limit yourself to a few key
pieces of camera equipment for an extended period. One of my photography
goals is to capture star trails and the Milky Way.
The opportunity presented itself when I traveled to Ladakh. After all, I
was going to be in a remote part of the country at an altitude of
almost 15,000-17,000 feet above sea level.
Now astrophotography
is not my thing. I always limited myself from trying it out because I
don’t usually travel with a tripod, nor do I own an intervalometer. So
this time I downloaded the camera manual on my phone and studied it
before I left. With that information, I was able to comfortably and
confidently use the B (a.k.a Bulb mode) on my camera to capture star
trails in Ladakh. It was quite a thrilling experience for my maiden
attempt.
Nothing
quite prepares you for seeing the milky way. That first glimpse takes
your breadth away
and without the right gear, it is impossible to
capture.
This is one of my first milky way shots and now I find myself looking
out for stars every night! This would have been impossible without a
tripod and proper remote trigger.
Another good thing to practice before you head out is gear maintenance.
I routinely clean my lens and camera throughout my trips, so I carry
two camera cleaning kits because I know my gear gets a lot of time out
in the elements when I travel.
Before every major outing, I spent the time to clean out the dirt and
dust from the camera and the lens. I keep the dust pen in my camera bag
in case I need it while I am out and about photographing.
4. Be local and think like a local
I have to include this one in any travel photography related article
because it does relate indirectly to taking care of yourself and your
gear. I often find photographers I meet along my journeys have a fake
sense of entitlement. When you are a guest in someone’s house, are you
not on your best behavior? Why is it that when you are a guest in
another country, common sense and basic manners seem to fly out the
window? Locals
are still people who deserve the same amount of respect and courtesy as
anyone. Put yourself in their shoes and try to imagine what they
experience when someone shoves a camera in their face without so much as
a hello or a smile.
My 24-70mm lens is my go-to travel lens. It really lets me get into
small places and photograph a variety of things. I am not one for a more
obscure lens where people don’t know I am photographing them. Instead, I
prefer to interact with people and let them know, rather see, that I am
taking their picture. This is just the way I work.
While in Ladakh, we visited a lot of beautiful monasteries. Most of
them are still in use, and we saw many temples where the monks were in
prayer. Even if there is no sign discouraging photography, please use
common sense not to invade their private space – especially when they
are chanting.
I cannot tell you how many times I have come across tourists that
almost jump over each other or hang out of moving cars just to take
pictures of monks chanting and praying. Seeing this rude behavior almost
made me embarrassed to take my camera out!
Being respectful has everything to do with travel and travel photography.
Additionally, flashing your fancy gear around is almost begging for
the wrong kind of attention. One evening in Rome, I was out with my kids
taking photos around beautiful horse-drawn carriages. We lost track of
time and soon found ourselves in a deserted alley. I quickly put my gear
away in my backpack, stuffed it with our jackets, grabbed my kids, and
sprinted towards a more crowded piazza.
5. Make friends with local photographers
The internet is an amazing tool for almost anything. It is such a
great resource to find and connect with other photographers, especially
if you are traveling to areas that are new and foreign to you. When I
travel, I always try to connect with some local photographers. We
sometimes meet for dinner/drinks, chat on the phone, and just become
friends.
They
even give me advice on some of the local, non-touristy spots to
photograph as well as offered to lend me gear if I need it (Well! Some
do…not all want to part with their gear to a total stranger).
A recent trip to the city where I got to try out a 40mm lens and get some cool shots indoors in low light.
I hope these tips are helpful as you plan your next vacation in a
far-off destination. Travel in itself is quite the adventure and adding
photography to it is just the icing on the cake. However, remember to
travel light and enjoy your trip for all that it is – not just a
photography expedition.
Also, there is no such thing as perfect photography, but there is
something known as a life-changing experience. Travel to experience more
of those than just taking pretty pictures.
Do you have any extra tips for traveling light with your photography
gear? If so, please share them with us and our readers in the comments
below.
![10 of the Best iPhone Photographers [by Photo Style and Genre]](https://i1.wp.com/digital-photography-school.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Shoot_15_Aik-Beng-Chia-Photos_b.jpg?resize=600%2C448&ssl=1 "Shoot_15_Aik Beng Chia Photos_b")
![10 of the Best iPhone Photographers [by Photo Style and Genre]](https://i0.wp.com/digital-photography-school.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Shoot_15_Aik-Beng-Chia-Photos_C.jpg?resize=600%2C800&ssl=1 "Shoot_15_Aik Beng Chia Photos_C")
![10 of the Best iPhone Photographers [by Photo Style and Genre]](https://i2.wp.com/digital-photography-school.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Shoot_15_Aik-Beng-Chia-Photos_D.jpg?resize=600%2C448&ssl=1 "Shoot_15_Aik Beng Chia Photos_D")
